Live from Explorer Miami -> Lisbon March 25-April 8

[Travelcat2]

1 hour ago, boblerm said:

Hopefully at some point someone can let us know how well it works.

 

This is him on formal night on our Silversea cruise

 

 

Juno56, my apologies for the "hijack", looking forward to your posts!

Bob

 

 

 

What an adorable young man.  He definitely fits the dress code for Silversea.  Love the bowtie1

[Silver Sweethearts]

6 hours ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

Compass Rose- excellent food and service. Chartreuse for lunch was lovely. Dinner in Prime 7 - food wonderful, service awful.  And yes, I did complain.

 

We just disembarked the Explorer this week after its Los Angeles-Miami sailing.  During that time we dined several times in Prime 7 for both lunch and dinner and never had any service problems.  Perhaps we missed something, and would appreciate it if you could elaborate on the situation.

[Juno56]

48 minutes ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

We just disembarked the Explorer this week after its Los Angeles-Miami sailing.  During that time we dined several times in Prime 7 for both lunch and dinner and never had any service problems.  Perhaps we missed something, and would appreciate it if you could elaborate on the situation.

 

We are experiencing excellent service in every area of the ship.  And sometimes they can even be almost too attentive.  (There are 635 passengers on this crossing.)  In every restaurant and bar and really anywhere on the ship, every request has been addressed immediately.  Was it because Jason Montague was onboard until we reached Bermuda this morning?  Perhaps, but I'd like to think it's because we have a great crew who has learned how to work together well.  Bravo, team Explorer!

[UUNetBill]

3 hours ago, forgap said:

I used FaceTime frequently on our Mariner cruise several weeks ago - at sea and in port...no special upgrade required. 

Honestly, I’ve found it easier to FaceTime from a hotspot on shore. 

[Brownie54]

So did we on the same cruise on the Mariner from Singapore to Hong Kong. No issues.

[Nicho99]

On board with the rest of these wonderful folks.

 

Just two quick points to add.

 

Pro:  The lunches in Prime 7 and Chartreuse have been the high lite of the cruise.  Beautiful selections including daily specials (same in both restaurants) in such a relaxed and elegant atmosphere.  Takes the hustle and bustle at lunch out of the equation.  

 

Con:  Stateroom 808 is a F2 forward.  Beautiful room and one of the best bargains on the list for size and layout.  However, as was previously mentioned, we had 7 meter seas (23 feet) coming into Bermuda and being forward we felt every swell.  Maybe got 3 hours sleep that night and most of that just before docking in Bermuda.  So choose carefully when booking your stateroom.

 

And one more on the pro side.  For you bourbon drinkers, Woodford Reserve is now part of the list! 

 

Have a question or request....ask away.

 

Dennis

Edited March 29, 2019 by Nicho99

[UUNetBill]

49 minutes ago, Nicho99 said:

And one more on the pro side.  For you bourbon drinkers, Woodford Reserve is now part of the list! 

 

Dennis

Oh, great, and we're not back on board until next January...     

[flyers]

We are also on the Explorer ( our first time on board and our 4th regent Cruise )on deck 9 in an Explorer Suite. Tuesday was a relaxing day after boarding in Miami but Wednesday was very rough as we encountered a cold front coming off the US mainland and Wednesday night was awful. The creaking and groaning in the suite was an unwelcome surprise and made sleep nearly impossible.

Bermuda on Thursday was windy but mostly Sunny while Friday dawned with Gale force winds and rain making walking in the dockyard very unpleasant and on the dock one had to be bent over in to the wind just to get back on the ship.

Today Friday despite a forecast for very rough conditions this has not materialized and at 6 pm the ship is moving along nicely at near 19 knots on a heading of 77 degrees with 20kts.of wind out of the southwest at approx.190 degrees.

I agree with pretty much all that has been said by previous posters about the food and service with one exception! so far we have eaten at Chartreuse (excellent)  Sette Mari (very good ) Pacific Rim (very good) La Veranda (typical Buffet and somewhat non descript ) Compass Rose twice and neither was good. On Tuesday we sat at table next to Jason Montague`s table and had to send back the Lobster and the Filet mignon both seriously overcooked. On Monday we found the food bland to tasteless!  We will give it another try and hopefully see if we just ordered incorrectly. The Service overall has been without fault with the exception of the Pool grill staff who are unhelpful to almost rude.

 We however  miss the personal service that we are used to on Seabourn where all know your name and your likes and dislikes by day two or three...there is a different culture on Regent which we  must get used to as well as the increased number of passengers from 450 to 750 although a previous poster indicated that there are 625 on this Voyage.

I know that some on board may disagree with some of my comments but we are all different and do not have the same expectations which is what makes life interesting!

Cheers.  

[Travelcat2]

1 hour ago, flyers said:

We are also on the Explorer ( our first time on board and our 4th regent Cruise )on deck 9 in an Explorer Suite. Tuesday was a relaxing day after boarding in Miami but Wednesday was very rough as we encountered a cold front coming off the US mainland and Wednesday night was awful. The creaking and groaning in the suite was an unwelcome surprise and made sleep nearly impossible.

Bermuda on Thursday was windy but mostly Sunny while Friday dawned with Gale force winds and rain making walking in the dockyard very unpleasant and on the dock one had to be bent over in to the wind just to get back on the ship.

Today Friday despite a forecast for very rough conditions this has not materialized and at 6 pm the ship is moving along nicely at near 19 knots on a heading of 77 degrees with 20kts.of wind out of the southwest at approx.190 degrees.

I agree with pretty much all that has been said by previous posters about the food and service with one exception! so far we have eaten at Chartreuse (excellent)  Sette Mari (very good ) Pacific Rim (very good) La Veranda (typical Buffet and somewhat non descript ) Compass Rose twice and neither was good. On Tuesday we sat at table next to Jason Montague`s table and had to send back the Lobster and the Filet mignon both seriously overcooked. On Monday we found the food bland to tasteless!  We will give it another try and hopefully see if we just ordered incorrectly. The Service overall has been without fault with the exception of the Pool grill staff who are unhelpful to almost rude.

 We however  miss the personal service that we are used to on Seabourn where all know your name and your likes and dislikes by day two or three...there is a different culture on Regent which we  must get used to as well as the increased number of passengers from 450 to 750 although a previous poster indicated that there are 625 on this Voyage.

I know that some on board may disagree with some of my comments but we are all different and do not have the same expectations which is what makes life interesting!

Cheers.  

 

Just want to comment on Compass Rose.  I'm not sure if it is the same chef in CR as there was earlier this month (disembarked March 9th) but, in our opinion, the food and service in CR was the worst that we have ever experienced.  I should have commented on this on our Final Questionnaire but it skipped my mind (likely because after trying CR twice, we did not dine there again).  This is unusual as normally we prefer CR to the specialty restaurants (for most things).  

[Silver Sweethearts]

1 hour ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

Just want to comment on Compass Rose.  I'm not sure if it is the same chef in CR as there was earlier this month (disembarked March 9th) but, in our opinion, the food and service in CR was the worst that we have ever experienced.  I should have commented on this on our Final Questionnaire but it skipped my mind (likely because after trying CR twice, we did not dine there again).  This is unusual as normally we prefer CR to the specialty restaurants (for most things).  

 

We would be interested in what in particular turned you off of CR this time (and we also wonder why another poster felt service in Prime 7 was "awful")?  We just disembarked on March 25th, and admit the food could have been better.  We did meet a waiter we enjoyed though and asked for him, and we were pleased with his service.  Did you have a special server you liked on the Explorer?

[Travelcat2]

24 minutes ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

We would be interested in what in particular turned you off of CR this time (and we also wonder why another poster felt service in Prime 7 was "awful")?  We just disembarked on March 25th, and admit the food could have been better.  We did meet a waiter we enjoyed though and asked for him, and we were pleased with his service.  Did you have a special server you liked on the Explorer?

 

We were recommended to a server by someone that we respect.  However, we did not like the area of CR where he served (as you know, some areas of CR on Explorer are better than other areas and not everyone agrees as to which is which).  I do not recall what we ordered but it wasn't horrible or good.  

 

The next time we visited CR we were given a server that served in the middle of the dining room (not our favorite spot but better than where we were previously).  The server was nice but disappeared after our food was served.  Again, do not recall what we ordered but made the decision not to return to CR on that cruise.  The second visit was not the last night but was close to the last night.  This is when a manager in CR went from table to table shaking hands and asked that we mention him on our questionnaire (which automatically makes me not mention him.  Although I would have loved to slam him, I took into consideration his age and that he likely really needs the job on Regent so I wimped out).  

 

We found the service in P7 (and Chartreuse) to be fine - no issues at all (but am waning in terms of what I feel about the food in Chartreuse).  The all-female staff in Pacific Rim was wonderful and we have finally learned what is to our tastes and what is not. Even if I order something that isn't perfect, I enjoy the sake so much that it doesn't matter.🍾

 

May I ask who your special server was?  I'm always looking for recommendations!  Thanks much.

[Silver Sweethearts]

37 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

May I ask who your special server was?  I'm always looking for recommendations!  Thanks much.

 

The server's name is Harish.  We not only ran into him at CR but at La Veranda and even the Pool Grill as well.  He said he has been with Regent for seven years or so, and he certainly does know his way around the food venues.  We like to ask for a two-top by a window (on the left side of the room when you are facing the reception desk), and his station covers several window seats there.  We really didn't mind the food anywhere on board, and the presentation of the food was very attractive.  That said, we do prefer (and had to ask for) vegetables that are cooked a bit (they were consistently almost raw) and food that has taste - and a taste that doesn't just come from oversalting.

 

[Travelcat2]

9 minutes ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

The server's name is Harish.  We not only ran into him at CR but at La Veranda and even the Pool Grill as well.  He said he has been with Regent for seven years or so, and he certainly does know his way around the food venues.  We like to ask for a two-top by a window (on the left side of the room when you are facing the reception desk), and his station covers several window seats there.  We really didn't mind the food anywhere on board, and the presentation of the food was very attractive.  That said, we do prefer (and had to ask for) vegetables that are cooked a bit (they were consistently almost raw) and food that has taste - and a taste that doesn't just come from oversalting.

 

 

Thank you so much - we will ask for him when we are back on Explorer later this year!

[travelwell]

Has anyone tried the streaming apps for the $10 extra a day? Can the $10 extra bandwidth for streaming be bought on a day to day basis? Has anyone tried Google Duo over the internet? We are very interested in this as we are booked on WC with a long stretch of sea days.

[kjbacon]

Feeling a little bummed at some of the recent reviews. It does seem like the reviews on the Explorer were better a few months ago. We have certainly been anticipating more than disappointment in Compass Rose next week.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

TC - if you wouldn’t dine in CR again, where would you dine? Just curious really.  Always looking for your advice and a good suggestion. I am presently onboard Explorer. 

Sheila

[Hambagahle]

Sheila - how have you found the CR on this current cruise?   Would be interesting to have your comments...

Gerry

[captjohn]

2 hours ago, travelwell said:

Has anyone tried the streaming apps for the $10 extra a day? Can the $10 extra bandwidth for streaming be bought on a day to day basis? Has anyone tried Google Duo over the internet? We are very interested in this as we are booked on WC with a long stretch of sea days.

 

Just so you know that the $10/day will NOT increase bandwidth . The $10 only grants you access to streaming on the same system .

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

Hi Gerry

I am finding the food and service very good in Compass Rose. It certainly meets Regent standards, which I have experienced before. 

My problem in Prime 7 was the service, not the food. I do not wish to go into detail. I am sure that it was a one off and was invited back to enjoy a great dinner again. 

I do not want anyone to misunderstand me. Loving Explorer. Just as much as my first inaugural Transatlantic sailing in 2016. The ship still looks great. And, look forward to my next sailing on her at the end of this year. 

Also, can’t wait to finally meet you on Splendor, in March 2020!

Sheila

Edited March 31, 2019 by Bellaggio Cruisers

[Travelcat2]

Sheila - our "favorite" dining venues change - depending upon the chef, servers, etc.  When we were onboard earlier this month, we went to Pacific Rim several times.  It took us many visits (prior to our last cruise) to find something that we liked in PR (lobster tempura) but it has changed and the batter is thicker - not the light tempura batter that we had become accustomed to.  Now, Dennis likes the giant prawns and I like the miso glazed black cod and chicken curry (medium spiced).  Also love the miso soup and jasmine rice (vs. fried rice - I don't care for their version).  

 

You mentioned that you will be on Explorer later this year.  Which cruise?  We'll be on the transatlantic at the end of November.

 

Jackie

[Silver Sweethearts]

TC -  When you were on the Explorer earlier this month were you as pleasantly surprised as we were at how few points you needed (from shipboard games) to earn prizes?  We brought home a few logo polo shirts thanks to just working the daily quiz.

[JMARINER]

On 3/28/2019 at 5:24 PM, Travelcat2 said:

I almost forgot that FaceTime and streaming is now blocked on Regent (unless you pay $10/day).  Not sure when it was blocked but if it makes the internet faster, I'm all for it.

FaceTime video (and voice) is NOT blocked by the ship system.  But because of the inherit poor quality of the system, FaceTime video work poorly or not at all.  Just made FaceTime video call (12:30am). Was able to get through, but it was choppy.  And this was in the middle of the night. 

 

Spoken with Jason two nights ago and he said there was an upgrade done in Miami that was supposed to increase speed/bandwidth by 20-30% .  I don't see it at all. I internet just as slow and clunky as ever.

 

J

[forgap]

I wonder if the position of the ship impacts the video clarity.  I used FaceTime frequently in SE Asia without a problem on Mariner a few weeks ago.  

[Hambagahle]

17 hours ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

Hi Gerry

I am finding the food and service very good in Compass Rose. It certainly meets Regent standards, which I have experienced before.   ...

 

Hi Sheila -  Glad to hear this!!   Others have registered complaints about the food and service in CR.   As far as complaints go - It was good that you told management about the poor service in P7.  Without feedback like this it is hard to improve things.

Keep enjoying the ship!!  

Gerry

[forevertravel]

We were on the Explorer in February from Buenos Aires to San Antonio. The food and service was excellent at all restaurants. The food in CR was as good as always. We had Justin as our waiter and he was excellent. We loved the Explorer as on previous cruised and everything was up to par. We had excellent service in the specialty restaurants. Perhaps the chef on our cruise departed. We had dinner with Massimo and mentioned how good everything was. I guess sometimes is a matter of luck.